A Special Birthday
by pottermum
Summary: The Potters celebrate a special friend's birthday. Dedicated to blvnk (Bianca) Happy Birthday!


A/N A huge thanks to thedistantdusk for giving it a read through.

January 10, 2020

Harry Potter and his two sons James, 16 and Albus 14, all came in to the Potter home, sweaty and teasing each other about the impromptu _'Catch the Snitch'_ game they'd just played.

"I swear, I had it in my hand and then it just flew out," protested James.

"Albus caught it fair and square," said Harry, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. He patted his younger son on the shoulder. "Too bad you're not on the Slytherin Quidditch team."

Albus shrugged modestly. " OWLS this year, I really want to do well," he said, then turned to his brother, " but I'm happy to show you how I beat you to the Snitch," he offered cheekily.

James elbowed him. "Pfft, you forget, little brother, I'm a Chaser, not a Seeker. Besides, it was just a lucky catch."

"Was not," protested Albus.

"Was too," argued James.

"Boys," sighed Harry, trying to dodge elbows and get to the kitchen for a drink. Just as got passed them, he saw his wife Ginny and their youngest, daughter Lily Luna, coming down the stairs together, nicely dressed.

He whistled. "Well, don't you both look pretty," he praised, making Lily blush with pleasure.

Ginny smirked as she came to stand in front of him. "You'd say the same if I was wearing a sack." She put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him lightly.

"Yes, you don't wear sacks any more, I miss them," he pouted.

"Mine are more a spring-wearing sack," she shot back, smiling at Lily who had returned to her side with her coat.

"Er, did I forget something?" asked Harry, watching as both Ginny and Lily put their coats on, then went into the kitchen. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Depends which_ we_ you're talking about," retorted Ginny. "You and me, no. Lily and I, yes."

"What about us?" asked James, handing his father a drink, which Harry took gratefully. James gestured to himself and his brother.

"You and Albus? Upstairs for a shower, please," she requested, sniffing loudly. She lifted Harry's arm up and sniffed, screwing her nose up. She dropped his arm and amended her statement. "You, Albus _and_ your father."

"Hey, I'm not that bad...am I?" asked Harry, sniffing his own underarm. He was pretty ripe, but he decided to change the subject.

"So, where are you going?" he asked.

"Daddy, we told you last night. Aunt Hermione is hosting a high tea for Bianca at her home. It's her birthday," chided Lily.

She had been looking forward to the event all week, feeling very grown up that she was allowed to attend. Her mum had even taken her and Rose shopping, and she loved her pretty skirt and jumper that Rose had assured her went well with her red hair.

"That's today?" asked Harry, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Yes, Dad," sighed Lily, looking at her mum, who simply shrugged in resignation.

Bianca was a talented young artist who had come into their lives approximately 3 years previously, thanks to her association with Dean Thomas.

It had started with the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, in 2017. Surprisingly, a lot of the members of the DA had attended the memorial service that year, and gathered at the Three Broomsticks after, to reminisce and catch up with friends they hadn't seen for awhile, due to work and family commitments. Some had left London and lived elsewhere, some found the occasion too much and chose to ignore it.

Ginny had been sitting with Hermione, Susan Bones and Parvati Patil and talk turned to people they had seen at the ceremony.

"You know, someone who was actually involved should write the history, the true history of what we went through," said Parvati, swirling a straw in her Butterbeer. " I'm sick of reading the lies and half truths by other people who have no idea."

" Like Skeeter," nodded Susan. "I swear she brings out a new book each year, and they all basically repeat the same stories."

"Ginny, you should do it," said Hermione, suddenly.

Ginny looked taken aback. "Me? If anyone was going to write it, I would have thought you would."

"You're the writer in the family," she said, " and a damned good one. You've got access to people who were involved with the first war, and you know first hand about Riddle."

"And easy access to Harry," giggled Parvati, " unlike all the other writers."

Ginny chuckled. "I can just imagine Harry's horror if I told him I was writing his story."

"Not _his_ story, well, of course he'd have to play a big part in it. But I was thinking more about the Order, Dumbledore, McGonagall, your parents..." suggested Hermione.

"The Marauders," said Ginny, softly, thinking about Harry's parents and Sirius.

Susan nodded. "The pioneers in our fight for freedom."

"Hey, that would make a great title," suggested Parvati, " Our Fight for Freedom," she announced dramatically. The other three friends laughed, till Hermione was distracted by Ron at the bar, being dared to drink something that sounded disgusting, and Hermione left to stop him.

To Ginny's surprise, on days when she had no stories to write or edit for the Daily Prophet, and with just Lily home, she found herself jotting down notes and story ideas of the war and a list of people she could interview. And from there, well, she may have just brought it up in conversation with her parents, Andromeda and others from time to time, until...

One day in summer, with Harry and Ron watching all the kids outside after a dinner at the Potter's, Ginny dragged Hermione into the office she shared with Harry.

"Merlin, you're not pregnant again, are you?" asked Hermione, sipping her wine. " This is exactly what you did when you told me you were expecting Lily."

"Ha, Harry wishes," scoffed Ginny. She gulped and went to the side of the desk, bending down to pick up a suitcase, which she then placed on the desk.

Hermione snorted her wine through her nose and began to cough. She placed her wine glass on the table and stared at Ginny in horror.

"You're not...are you...are you leaving Harry?" she whispered.

"What?" Ginny looked confused then realised how it looked, with the suitcase. "Of course not! But here, take it," she pleaded. "Tell me it's utter shite."

Hermione, eyeing Ginny carefully, took the suitcase and slowly began to open it, unsure and worried what she would find inside.

" Oh, for Merlin's sake, get a move on. Here, I'll help," said Ginny, nervously. She bumped Hermione aside and quickly opened it. With the lid up, she stepped aside, gesturing for Hermione to step up where she had been. She grabbed Hermione's wine glass and skolled it, watching her sister-in-law pick up several pieces of parchment.

"You...is this what I think it is?" whispered Hermione, flicking quickly through pages and pages of writing.

Ginny nodded. She crossed to the bookcase and removed a couple of books, reaching behind for a bottle of firewhiskey. Opening Harry's bottom drawer, she brought out two glasses, silently asking Hermione if she wanted one.

Hermione nodded, already engrossed in the writing.

"Ginny, this...it's – "

Ginny screwed up her eyes. "Don't say it, I can't bear it. Take it home, I don't want Harry to find it yet, please read it for me, will you, all of it, properly. You're the only one I trust with this." She then promptly skolled her half glass of fire-whiskey.

Hermione tutted, both in disapproval and amusement. "You'll be drunk in no time if you keep that up, and you know the kids will want to drag you out for Quidditch."

As if on cue, the door began to open, only, it wasn't the kids, it was their husbands..

"Hey, what's – " began Harry, when –

"Out, get out," shrieked Ginny and Hermione. They both used their wands to slam the door shut in poor Harry's face. They could hear both Harry and Ron outside, muttering and seeming to come to the same conclusion at the same time.

"Merlin, you don't think..." began Harry, while Ron was teasing him about never remembering the contraception charm.

Harry pounded on the door. "Ginny, open the door. Are you, Merlin, fuck, I can't breathe, are you – "

"Come on, mate, breathe. Ginny, your husband is about to pass out with excitement," called Ron.

Ginny stormed over and opened the door, making a pale and clammy Harry almost fall into the room. She grabbed him, propping him up.

"Fuck you're strong," said Ron, in admiration.

Ignoring her brother, Ginny patted Harry's cheeks. "Harry love, look at me."

Harry looked at her stomach, then at her face. "I love you," he gushed.

Next to him Ron made a puking noise.

Ginny smiled. "I love you too, but I am not pregnant."

Ron frowned. "Then why the locked door?" He looked over to his wife and then he paled. "Hermione...?"

Hermione had used the distraction to shut and shrink the suitcase and it was now stored in her pocket. She walked over to her husband.

"Now who's about to pass out," she grinned. "Nobody's pregnant," she reassured her husband.

"Did you come to find us for Quidditch?" asked Ginny.

Ron nodded but Harry couldn't take his eyes off Ginny. "Or we could go upstairs right now," he offered.

"We have guests, Harry," she chided but winked.

"Pfftt, they're not guests, they're Ron and Hermione," snorted Harry.

"Hey," chorused Ron and Hermione, but Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him away, and they all went to join the children.

A month later, Ginny and Hermione met in a muggle cafe to discuss it properly, away from the distractions of the family.

"It's brilliant," stated Hermione simply. The suitcase was at her side of the booth.

"But?" Ginny waited for the criticism and a list of the changes she should make.

"No buts, oh, I've made a few notations in the margin of things you need to clarify but honestly, Ginny, it brought me to tears. It was so raw, so real. I think it's the best thing you've ever written," she said.

Ginny blinked several times. "Oh-kay," she said slowly. She eyed her sister-in-law dumbly. "Now what?" Never had she imagined it would come to this stage.

"Find a publisher. Shouldn't be an issue, you'd have contacts. Have you told Harry yet?" asked Hermione.

Ginny shook her head. "I will, once I find a publisher who tells me it's good enough to be an actual book, and not one who will publish it just because of my surname."

"What about photos, that sort of thing?" asked Hermione.

Ginny looked unsure. "I have a few of the original Order, Mum had one that was her brothers', and Abe and Hagrid have been so great sharing stories and they gave me some. Of course, I received some of Colin's photos of his time at Hogwarts, and I thought I could use some of them, but I don't want to focus on Harry. But the Tri-wizard tournament needs to be mentioned, and Colin had some great ones of that."

Hermione reached over to grab Ginny's hands, which were shredding a paper napkin nervously.

"You've written a great, accurate, unbiased work , Ginny. You should be very proud," said Hermione gently.

"What if Harry doesn't like it?" asked Ginny " you know how he gets around May, you know how he is when anyone brings up the past."

"I think Harry trusts you more than anyone, and when he reads it, he'll probably be relieved that finally, someone got it right. That's why he hates the past brought up, because they still get facts wrong."

Ginny nodded, silent as the waitress brought their coffees and scones over, placing them in front of them. When she left, Hermione leaned forward.

"Are you going to dedicate it to Harry?" she asked.

"Not sure yet," she replied. She had a couple of ideas in mind for that.

"Well, I can't wait to read it again, when it's a proper book," said Hermione.

Ginny began to feel clammy at the thought. "Merlin," she said, fanning herself. "Distract me, please!" She picked up her coffee, blew on it and took a sip.

"Did I tell you I'm thinking of running for Minister for Magic?" asked Hermione pleasantly.

Ginny spat her coffee all over her sister-in-law.

/*/*/*/*

Harry read her story over two nights. He closed the file when he was finished, deep in thought. He re-read the dedication, then he wiped a tear away.

Outside his office he could hear the kids bickering and, in exasperation, he heard Ginny say –

"Oh, go ask your dad, then!"

There was a knock on his door and it opened, with a scowling Albus sticking his head in.

"Dad, mum said we – are you all right?" Albus looked confused, then backed his head out of the office to bellow.

"Mum, can you come here, I think dad needs you."

Ginny brushed past Albus, who shut the door behind her.

"Harry?" she asked tentatively.

He looked up, almost as if he were seeing her for the first time.

"Hey." He held out his hand to her.

She came around the side of his desk and crawled onto his lap. She leaned her head on his shoulder, an arm draped around his shoulder.

"Tell me," she said softly, " even if you hate it. Tell me your honest thoughts."

He hesitated, trying to find the words to explain.

"It was amazing. Like re-living it in some parts, which wasn't particularly pleasant but Gin, you nailed it. It was so real, so true...thank you for that. It's what I always wanted, you know, just the real story out there, not just mine, now everyone can see it was about so much more than just me...and now my own wife has written it!" he said, hugging her.

She felt relieved as she hugged him back. "Is there anything in there you don't want made public? Anything you'd want me to remove?" she asked hesitantly. She remembered the discussion Harry, Ron and Hermione had had about disclosing the information about Horcruxes after the battle and also Harry's link to the Hallows, in those tenuous days after the battle.

"No, I think you wrote it all well, without going into too much detail," said Harry. "What happens next?"

"Well," Ginny took a deep breath. "Once I give the okay to the publisher, it will go to print. I wanted you to read it before that, but once that happens, well, we'll start talking about a release date. It will be close to the twentieth anniversary of the end of the war so we are thinking mid April," she said.

Harry nodded. "Makes sense." He hesitated. "I liked the photos you used, what about the cover?"

"Dean has recommended an artist to draw something. She's really nice, I met her at my publisher's office. Her name is Bianca and she's from Brazil," said Ginny. "What did you think about the dedication?"

Ginny had tossed and turned on the dedication, in the end she had quoted -

"_Dedicated to Lily Potter, Molly Weasley, Hermione Granger and to strong women everywhere. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them.'_

Ginny's book was a huge success, to nobody's surprise but Ginny herself. She was most touched to receive a letter of praise from headmistress McGonnagall, praising her writing and her ability to make one feel as though they were actually there at all the key points in the lead up to the battle.

Bianca's cover of a broken Hogwarts was hauntingly beautiful and she received many other offers of work. She and Ginny had done some book signings together and Bianca had met the Potter and Granger-Weasley family and close friendships were formed.

Life returned to normal after the summer holidays, with the children back to school, although Lily Luna bemoaned she still had a year left before she could go to Hogwarts.

Ginny was back reporting the Quidditch matches and writing extra pieces for other journals. She travelled to Romania and caught up with Charlie and she allowed Lily to take some time away from school and they travelled to Brazil for a weekend of matches and then stayed with Bianca for a week.

They were immediately welcomed into her family, with Bianca playing tour guide, taking them to the glorious beaches andeven taking them to a muggle football match, for she had been raised a muggle, only discovering she was a witch at the age of ten. Then she had gone to Castelobruxo, in the midst of the Amazon rainforest.

Lily swished and twirled in Bianca's green robes from school, when she showed them the books and things she had kept from school, locked away in a trunk.

"I was good at Herbology," she confided, " I was all set for a career at an apothecary but then I had a holiday in Paris and went to the museums...all that wonderful art! I had been doodling for ages, friends told me I was good but it wasn't till I met Dean that I began to think drawing was something I could do professionally."

"Thank Merlin you met Dean, then," said Ginny. She peered over Lily's shoulder to look at some photos of a younger Bianca with her friends from school.

"You played Quidditch?" she asked, picking up a photo of a young Bianca with the team.

Bianca shook her head. "My best friend was on the team," she said, pointing her out. " I'd rather watch sports than play them."

"James and Albus are going to be so jealous I got to come here," chortled Lily.

"You'll have to bring them back," offered Bianca.

"Perhaps a family holiday in the summer?" murmured Ginny. "I'd love to take Harry and the boys on a hike through the Amazon."

"You're always welcome," said Bianca, hugging Ginny, then Lily goodbye.

"And you're always welcome to come stay with us," offered Ginny.

"I would love to visit Hogwarts," mused Bianca. "Scotland looks so lovely."

When Ginny returned home, she set off on a cleaning frenzy, something that occurred rarely. She started off in hers and Harry's bedroom.

"Hey, that's my Gryffindor captain shirt," protested Harry, when he saw it on a pile on the bed.

"And you haven't worn it in twenty years, my lovable pack rat," she said, mussing his hair. "Besides, it's not in the throw out pile, it's now my new pyjama top."

"Most women shop for new pyjamas, but not mine, she raids my wardrobe," muttered Harry, walking away.

"What was that, sweetheart?" called Ginny, although she had heard perfectly well.

"I love you," he called back, making her chuckle.

It was when she got to Harry's and her's office that she found the suitcase still stuffed to the brim of material from her book. As she picked it up, the latch broke open and several of Colin's photos from the DA meetings fell out.

Ginny picked them up, smiling to see Harry correct Neville's wand-work, and several people close to them ducking as he cast.

She sat in the chair, pulling out all the photos and remembering the fun they'd had learning new spells, the camaraderie, the pride they'd all felt when Neville finally mastered the Expelliarmus spell. She felt a pang when she saw George and Fred slip something into Ron's school bag. She missed her brother so much.

"Oh!" She had a burst of inspiration. She could write a story about the DA, truly honour Harry and her fellow school mates and the horrible years at Hogwarts. How many of the spells they'd learnt had saved a life? Without Harry, without Hermione even suggesting he train them, where would they have been that year under the Carrows?

She looked at the suitcase; she already had most of the research done, for she had interviewed everyone for the first book.

Her first instinct was to fire-call Hermione, but she was a busy lady these days. So...

"Harry? I need you," she called.

He was at the door in minutes, a huge sandwich in his hand.

"You bellowed?" he asked, about to take a bite.

"Yeah, I – I – is that for me?" she asked, gesturing to the sandwich.

He sighed, handing it over. " I knew I should made two. Idiot, Potter, you've been married to her for nearly twenty years," he muttered.

"Talking to yourself now?" she asked dryly. "Wait," she panicked when he seemed about to leave. "Can you come in? I need to talk to you about something."

He took in her solemn look and came in and shut the door. "Is everything all right?" he asked, before he noticed a photo she was holding. It was himself trying to help Cho master a spell in the DA, while Ron smirked behind him. He looked from the photo to his wife.

"I want to write another book," she told him, "about Dumbledore's Army."

He leaned over and took his sandwich back from her, taking a bite as he contemplated her words, his eyes never leaving her face.

She waited.

He swallowed his bite. " Okay."

"Okay? That's it?" she asked, holding her hand out for the sandwich.

He handed it over and she took a bite. She chewed carefully.

"Yes, okay," he replied. He took the sandwich back from her.

"You'd be more prominent in this story," she warned.

"I trust you," he said, and he handed the sandwich over to her.

She took it and took a bite. "I want to bring Bianca back on board for this."

Harry nodded as he took in the Christmas card Bianca had sent the Potter family, with a drawing of them all on the front, even Teddy.

"She's done some sketches of you for the first book that we never used, but I think one would be perfect," continued Ginny, "but I'd like you to see them first."

"Sure," said Harry. He'd liked the way Bianca had drawn him, especially the ones with his man bun. His brother-in-law Percy absolutely detested his long hair but he had no intention of cutting it yet, nor shave his beard. Beside, Ginny liked them and that was all that mattered to him.

They'd traded the sandwich back and forth as she mused out loud about where to start, what and who to include, until the sandwich was long gone and so was half a bottle of his favourite fire-whiskey. And then...

"Dad? Daddy!" cried Lily, shaking his arm.

"Hem hem," coughed Ginny deliberately.

Harry blinked suddenly, looking wary. His eyes narrowed at Ginny's mirth.

"You just did Umbridge, didn't you?" he asked.

"Nice to know I can still spook you with my imitations," she quipped. "Want me to do Snape? Lily and I still have several minutes before we have to leave."

"I don't want to be late, Mum," pouted Lily.

"Tell Bianca I'll be online tonight," said Albus, walking past them.

"Why would she want to know that?" scoffed James.

"I've been playing _Red Dead Redemption 2_ with her," said Albus, " she's really good."

"James is still working through_ Super Mario Brothers_, he hasn't rescued the princess yet," teased Lily

James scowled at her.

"I'd like Dudley to get up close and personal with my wand for giving those machines to you lot, they are a total brain drain," sighed Ginny.

"Dad likes playing _Dungeons and Dragons_," protested Albus.

"Mum, come on, I don't want to be late," protested Lily, pulling on Ginny's arm.

"I'm coming, Lily, I'm coming," said Ginny, kissing Harry on the cheek in farewell.

The two Potter women crossed to the fireplace, preparing to leave.

"Hey Gin?"

Ginny stopped to look back at her husband.

"Why don't you invite Bianca back here for dinner," suggested Harry. "There's still time to thaw a roast, I bet she'd like a traditional English roast dinner."

"Yeah, invite her Mum," pleaded Albus.

"We could bake her a cake too," suggested James, looking at Albus and his dad, who nodded.

"I think she'd like that," smiled Ginny, " and we can show you the artwork we chose for the book."

"We should take Bianca to Hogwarts while she's here," said James. "You said she wanted to see Hogwarts and we're heading back soon after the Christmas break."

"You could take her to Hogsmeade," noted Albus.

"Oh yes, could we, please?" implored Lily, " and visit Hagrid too?"

"How about we discuss this at dinner. Lily, I'm afraid you and I are now officially late," realised Ginny.

"Bugger!" said Lily, then turned red when her father frowned at her. "Sorry."

"Come on, Lily, time to go. Potter men, we'll be back in a couple of hours. Don't forget to shower!"

And then they were gone.

Bianca did come back for dinner then played video games with James and Albus. Then while James, Albus and Lily did the dishes, she, Harry and Ginny went to the office to discuss the art for the book.

" So we decided to simply have the initials 'DA' in bold green on the cover and in smaller font The True Story of Dumbledore's Army," explained Ginny, " and then this artwork on the back cover."

She slid one of Bianca's works over to him, but he shook his head, sliding it back without looking at it.

"I told you, I trust you, Ginny," he said, and looked kindly at Bianca, " and Bianca, you've always drawn me well, so I trust you too."

"Thank you, Harry, that means a lot," said Bianca.

With that done, the three returned to the lounge, where Lily tried to persuade her parents to let her have one of the two kittens Bianca mentioned she had found recently. Sadly, they said no.

"Dad, did you know Bianca is a famous artist on Twitter and online?" asked Lily. "She has loads of followers who love her art as much as we do."

"What's Twitter?" asked Harry.

"Er, Bianca, will you explain it to me again?" asked Lily.

"Sure Lily," agreed Bianca, smiling at Ginny, who looked somewhat confused too.

"Cake first," protested Albus.

"I'll start the singing off," said James, clearing his throat, and all the Potters sang Happy Birthday to their dear friend, Bianca.

Then she, Lily and Ginny teamed up against Harry, James and Albus for a night of Exploding Snap, then made plans to visit Hogwarts and Hogsmeade soon.

All in all, it was one of Bianca's favourite birthdays.

~end~

A/N The Christmas card mentioned was actually artwork that Bianca had titled September 1st 2007. I


End file.
